spinal cord injury Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Bioprinted Implant May Help Paralyzed People Walk Again

AHA Publisher — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 08:00:51 +0000

Abigail Klein Leichman via Israel21c – Medical science has not yet found a way to restore walking ability in someone paralyzed from a traumatic spinal cord injury. Within a few years, a first-of-its-kind 3D-printed spinal cord tissue implant, made from the patient’s own cells, could make that dream come true. Using technology developed over the course of a decade in Prof. Tal Dvir’s regenerative biotechnology lab at Tel Aviv University, the implant enabled paralyzed lab mice to walk again. A paper published today in Advanced Science provides the remarkable details. “It is like science fiction,” says Dr. Asaf Toker, CEO of Matricelf, the company working to bring Dvir’s groundbreaking technology to market. ISRAEL21c readers may recall that two years ago, Dvir’s lab 3D-printed the world’s first miniature vascularized human heart. Dvir and Alon Sinai cofounded Matricelf that year and it went public in 2021. On January 30, the company signed an exclusive global licensing agreement with Tel Aviv University technology transfer company Ramot to commercialize and utilize the patent for 3D-printing tissues and organs. “With our technology, we can create any tissue we want,” Toker tells ISRAEL21c. “The first one is neural implants for people with a spinal cord injury causing paralysis.” No Rejection Dvir explained that the technique begins with taking a small biopsy of belly fat tissue from the patient. “This tissue, like all tissues in our body, consists of cells together with an extracellular matrix of substances like collagens and sugars,” he explained. “After separating the cells from the extracellular matrix, we used genetic engineering to reprogram the cells, reverting them to a state that resembles embryonic stem cells capable of becoming any type of cell in the body.” The extracellular matrix didn’t go to waste. It formed the basis of a personalized hydrogel that will not trigger an immune response or rejection after implantation – which is the main problem with donor implants. “We then encapsulated the stem cells in the hydrogel and, in a process that mimics the embryonic development of the spinal cord, we turned the cells into 3D implants of neuronal networks containing motor neurons,” said Dvir. The human spinal cord implants were then implanted in mice. Half had only recently been paralyzed (the acute model) and half had been paralyzed for the equivalent of a year in human terms (the chronic model). Up and Walking Again Following the implantation and a rapid rehabilitation process, 100 percent of the mice with acute paralysis and 80% of those with chronic paralysis regained their ability to walk. “This is the first instance in the world in which implanted engineered human tissues have generated recovery in an animal model for long-term chronic paralysis – which is the most relevant model for paralysis treatments in humans,” Dvir said. “Individuals injured at a very young age are destined to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of their lives, bearing all the social, financial, and health-related costs of paralysis” because there has never been an effective treatment, Dvir pointed out. “Our goal is to produce personalized spinal cord implants for every paralyzed person, enabling regeneration of the damaged tissue with no risk of rejection.” Following discussions with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Matricelf plans the first human clinical trial of the spinal cord implant at the end of 2024. “Since we are proposing an advanced technology in regenerative medicine, and since at present there is no alternative for paralyzed patients, we have good reason to expect relatively rapid approval of our technology,” said Dvir. In the meantime, additional efficacy and safety trials will be done on lab rats. Printing Tissues and Organs Toker explains what makes this technology unique. “Tissue engineering requires two ingredients: cells and extracellular matrix as a scaffold for the cells to build the tissue,” he says. “Many companies do tissue engineering using synthetic materials for scaffolds or using cells from a donor. But when you introduce foreign material to the body, the immune system attacks it, and the implant fails unless the patient takes drugs to suppress the immune system.” The Matricelf technology developed by Dvir uses autologous (the patient’s own) cells and extracellular matrix. The immune system recognizes them and doesn’t attack them. “The new licensing agreement with Ramot also enables us to 3D-print tissues and organs,” says Toker. “An organ is built from a variety of tissues and cells. So our bioprinter has several bio-ink cartridges to print different tissues in the same printing, just like in four-color printing where the printer knows where to put each color.” The bio-ink is enclosed inside another fluid to support the organ’s structure. “When you print a hollow organ like a heart, if you don’t use this technology the tissue will collapse,” Toker explains. “To print organs with cavities inside them you need the technology to support it. That is our unique aspect.” The spinal implant was developed by Dvir and lab members Lior Wertheim, Dr. Reuven Edri and Dr. Yona Goldshmit along with Prof. Irit Gat-Viks from the Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Prof. Yaniv Assaf from the Sagol School of Neuroscience, and Dr. Angela Ruban from the Steyer School of Health Professions, all at Tel Aviv University. Matricelf, based in Ness Ziona, employs 10 people – seven of whom are women, Toker tells ISRAEL21c. It is well-positioned to become a prominent player in the 3D bioprinting market, estimated to be worth about $650 million in 2019 and an expected $1.6 billion in 2024. To read the original article click here.

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Holy Fruit Turns on Healing Stem Cells

AHA Publisher — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 07:00:12 +0000

Al Sears, MD, CNS – New research has found a way to dramatically increase the number of stem cells circulating in the blood using the “holy fruit of the Himalayas,” or seaberry. This bright orange fruit has been used for thousands of years to treat inflammation and infections, boost immunity, and slow the aging process. Modern research explains why it works. In the study, 12 healthy adults had their blood drawn before and after eating either seaberry extract or a placebo. Data on stem cell activity was analyzed following each blood draw.1 Within two hours of eating the berry, researchers found that: Progenitor stem cells capable of cardiovascular maintenance and repair increased 24%. Endothelial stem cells increased by 33%. These multipotent stem cells found in bone marrow, have the ability to develop into multiple specialized cells. Increasing the number of circulating stem cells in your body has been proven to potentially repair: Acute myocardial infarction2 Stroke3 Bone fracture4 Muscle injury5 Spinal cord injury6 Inner ear damage7 Boost Your Stem Cells Easily at Home First take seaberry extract daily. To get the results researchers saw in the study, take 500 mg daily. It’s available as a softgel, powder and juice. Look for certified organic, non-GMO products. Second, try fasting for two days every six months. A study from the University of Southern California shows that this kind of fasting causes stem cells to awake from their normal dormant state and start regenerating. This practice destroyed damaged and older cells, and caused new cells to be born, effectively renewing the immune system.8 Finally, workout intensely. A study in the European Heart Journal showed that vigorous exercise in mice activated 60% of their cardiac stem cells.9 In a human study, researchers proved that strenuous exercise leads to high levels of stem cells in bone, liver and other organs.10 To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS 1. Drapeau C, et al. “Rapid and selective mobilization of specific stem cell types after consumption of a polyphenol-rich extract from sea buckthorn berries (Hippophae) in healthy human subjects.” Clin Interv Aging. 2019:14:253-263. 2. Luo Y, et al. “Short-term intermittent administration of CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 facilitates myocardial repair in experimental myocardial infarction.” Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai). 2013;45(7):561-569. 3. Wang L, et al. “Mobilization of endogenous bone marrow derived endothelial progenitor cells and therapeutic potential of parathyroid hormone after ischemic stroke in mice.” PLoS One. 2014;9(2):e87284. 4. Toupadakis CA, et al. “Mobilization of endogenous stem cell populations enhances fracture healing in a murine femoral fracture model.” Cytotherapy. 2013;15(9):1136-1147. 5. Stratos I, et al. “Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor enhances muscle proliferation and strength following skeletal muscle injury in rats.” J Appl Physiol. 2007;103(5):1857-1863. 6. Urdziková L, et al. “Flt3 ligand synergizes with granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor in bone marrow mobilization to improve functional outcome after spinal cord injury in the rat.” Cytotherapy. 2011;13(9):1090-1104. 7. Elbana AM. “Role of endogenous bone marrow stem cells mobilization in repair of damaged inner ear in rats.” Int J Stem Cells. 2015;8(2):146-154. 8. Cheng CW, et al. “Prolonged fasting reduces igf-1/pka to promote hematopoietic-stem-cell-based regeneration and reverse immunosuppression.” Cell Stem Cell. 14(6):810-823. 9. Gariani K, et al. “Eliciting the mitochondrial unfolded protein response by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide repletion reverses fatty liver disease in mice.” Hepatology. 2016;63(4):1190-1204. 10. Valero MC, et al. “Eccentric Exercise facilitates mesenchymal stem cell appearance in skeletal muscle.” PLOS One. 2012;7(1):e29760. This article has been modified. To read the original article click here. For more articles by Al Sears MD click here.

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Robotic Trunk Support Assists Those With Spinal Cord Injury

AHA Publisher — Wed, 08 Jan 2020 08:00:55 +0000

Colombia University School of Engineering and Applied Science via EurekAlert – A Columbia Engineering team has invented a robotic device — the Trunk Support Trainer (TruST) — that can be used to assist and train people with spinal cord injuries (SCis) to sit more stably by improving their trunk control, and thus gain an expanded active sitting workspace without falling over or using their hands for balance. The study is the first to measure and define the sitting workspace of patients with SCI based on their active trunk control. New York, NY–January 6, 2020–Spinal cord injuries (SCI) can cause devastating damage, including loss of mobility and sensation. Every year, there are an estimated 17,000 new SCIs in the US alone, a rate higher than in most regions of the world. In addition, the rate of SCIs in people 65-years or older is expected to rise in the US, from 13.0% in 2010 to 16.1% by 2020. Data also shows a high survival rate for these patients, who need to function in everyday life but find sitting to be a major challenge. A Columbia Engineering team has invented a robotic device–the Trunk-Support Trainer (TruST)–that can be used to assist and train people with SCIs to sit more stably by improving their trunk control, and thus gain an expanded active sitting workspace without falling over or using their hands to balance. The study, published today in Spinal Cord Series and Cases, is the first to measure and define the sitting workspace of patients with SCI based on their active trunk control. “We designed TruST for people with SCIs who are typically wheelchair users,” says Sunil Agrawal, the project’s PI and professor of mechanical engineering and of rehabilitation and regenerative medicine. “We found that TruST not only prevents patients from falling, but also maximizes trunk movements beyond patients’ postural control, or balance limits.” TruST is a motorized-cable driven belt placed on the user’s torso to determine the postural control limits and sitting workspace area in people with SCI. It delivers forces on the torso when the user performs upper body movements beyond the postural stability limits while sitting. The five subjects with SCI who participated in the pilot study were examined with the Postural Star-Sitting Test, a customized postural test that required them to follow a ball with their head and move their trunk as far as possible, without using their hands. The test was repeated in eight directions, and the researchers used the results to compute the sitting workspace of each individual. The team then tailored the TruST for each subject to apply personalized assistive force fields on the torso while the subjects performed the same movements again. With the TruST, the subjects were able to reach further during the trunk excursions in all eight directions and significantly expand the sitting workspace around their bodies, on an average of about 25% more. “The capacity of TruST to deliver continuous force-feedback personalized for the user’s postural limits opens new frontiers to implement motor learning-based paradigms to retrain functional sitting in people with SCI,” says Victor Santamaria, a physical therapist, postdoctoral researcher in Agrawal’s Robotics and Rehabilitation Laboratory, and first author of the paper. “We think TruST is a very promising SCI rehab tool.” Agrawal’s team is now exploring the use of TruST within a training paradigm to improve the trunk control of adults and children with spinal cord injury. “The robotic platform will be used to train participants with SCI by challenging them to move their trunk over a larger workspace, with TruST providing assist-as-needed force fields to safely bring the subjects back to their neutral sitting posture,” says Agrawal. “This force field will be adjusted to the needs of the participants over time as they improve their workspace and posture control.” To read the original article click here.

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